


Wicked Wiccans: Pagan representations in modern media

by KathyPrior42



Category: Merlin (TV), Reign (TV), Supernatural, The Craft (1996), W.I.T.C.H.
Genre: Paganism, Wicca, magick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 17:43:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16433951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathyPrior42/pseuds/KathyPrior42





	Wicked Wiccans: Pagan representations in modern media

This essay will analyze how Paganism is portrayed in modern media and TV shows. Specifically, several shows and a film will be analyzed: Merlin (BBC), Reign, and The Craft. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed are other shows that have already been reviewed in other research texts. Some of the shows and films that will be covered have also been studied by scholars, but not to the same extent. In fact, there has been very minimal research conducted on Wiccan religion/spiritual representations in popular media. Further research from more professional scholars with more knowledge on this topic would be beneficial in helping individuals of various faiths (or lack thereof) to learn more about these ancient practices as well as the sacredness of the environment held by most Pagans.   
The first part will analyze portrayals of so called "witches" in the Merlin BBC show (2008), Reign TV show (2013) and The Craft film (1996). Part two will cover the predominantly negative representations of witches and covens from the Supernatural TV show (2005) and positive representations of the elemental guardians from the TV show W.I.T.C.H (2004). 

 

Merlin BBC  
Merlin (2008) is a fantasy drama television series based on the legend of King Arthur and Merlin. The story follows the journey of Merlin as a young boy, who secretly uses magic to protect Arthur and the kingdom of Camelot from enemies and monsters. The main antagonists consist of a Druid Mordred, and the sorceress Morgana. These villains clash with King Uther’s Great Purge, a law that bans individuals from performing magic. Feeling oppressed by the system, Morgana and the various villains wage war on Camelot, using dark magic and harming anyone who stands in their way. 

In Merlin, the Druids, High Priestesses, and most individuals who can use magic are portrayed as villains. Morgause, Morgana, Mordred, and Nimueh were all characters who practiced the Old Religion (presumably Paganism). It is called the Old Religion since it predates the “newer” traditions that are practiced by the dominant society in Camelot. However, witchcraft and Wicca are not old at all. Harvey states the Craft “is clearly a new religion in the sense that it has evolved since the 1930s” (52). Wicca recognizes eight seasonal periods called Sabbats which are shown on a chart called the “Wheel of the Year.” Each season falls on different dates and honors different moments in nature associated with birth, fertility, the harvest, and death. Pagan holidays such as Samhain, and Beltane were mentioned in several episodes. In addition, the sacred Isle of the Blessed looks similar to Stonehenge. On the contrary, King Uther, Arthur, and the knights of Camelot presumably practiced a form of Christianity. Dark magic is primarily used by the villains, while the main character Merlin uses magic for good.

Regarding the holidays celebrated in the show, the Great Stones of Nemeton (similar in appearance to Stonehenge) is a place where the High Priestesses would summon the spirits of their ancestors using the Horn of Cathbhadh. On Samhain, the High Priestesses would sacrifice a living human to gain access to the spirit world, where they could temporarily harness magical power. It is also worth mentioning that the three High Priestesses in the movie wore red, a color often representing evil, beauty, blood, and war. In addition, the Triple Goddess, an important deity in Wicca, is hardly mentioned in the series.

Reign   
Reign is a fictional drama TV show about Mary, Queen of Scots. In the show, Pagan individuals are portrayed as dark and sacrificial. Their deity is a creature called The Darkness that feeds off humans. The Darkness can be equated with the devil or a dark monster. The Pagans in the show are part of a Blood Cult that sacrifices humans to their dark deity. The majority of Pagan characters are portrayed as villains. The deer necklace in Reign is symbolic of choosing the next victim to be sacrificed. In one scene, the character Mary wakes up to find a dead stag head above her bed, left by a Pagan. Although a "lighter" form of Paganism is mentioned, one that honors nature instead of sacrifice, the "darker" version is more prominent. Additionally, the Pagans are called "heathens" and "savages." These are derogatory terms used to discriminate against a variety of individuals who do not follow the “default” religion of Christianity, particularly in the U.S. The words conjure up stereotypical images of “primal” people who rebel against orderly society. 

The examples above demonstrate some of the ways in which Paganism is portrayed in Reign and other forms of media. Many individuals associate Paganism with evil, witchcraft, Satanism, or devil-worship. While Christianity and Jesus Christ are associated with everything pure and good, any faith outside Judaism, Islam, and Christianity is perceived by many Americans to be “abnormal.” Author Graham Harvey explains “Some do this out of ignorance but others do it deliberately, believing either that the devil is behind everything other than Evangelicalism, or that paganism is a stepping-stone towards devil-worship” (211). Due to the desire to create drama and tension for the audience, it has been a common practice for films and TV shows to portray Pagans as spell-casting, blood shedding antagonists. 

The Craft  
The Craft (1996) tells the story of Sarah, a newcomer who meets a trio of teenage girls at a Catholic Academy. Bonnie, Nancy, Rochelle and Sarah use magic and rituals to get revenge on bullying individuals. Bonnie wishes to be beautiful, Rochelle wishes for revenge against a racist bully, Sarah wishes to love herself more, and Nancy wishes for "all the power in the world." After the four girls summon a fictional deity Manon, they experience consequences for casting spells for selfish purposes. Nancy kills her abusive step father, Bonnie becomes beautiful, Laura, the school bully loses her hair and sobs, and the selfish Chris falls in love with Sarah after she put a love spell on him.

After Sarah attempts to bind Nancy from doing more harm to others, Nancy and the others turn on her. It is later revealed that after being struck by lightning, Nancy is the villain, who tried to kill Sarah after she is accused of betraying the coven. Nancy uses illusion magic to make snakes and vermin appear to scare Sarah, and making her believe that her family was killed in a plane accident. Nancy even tries to get Sarah to kill herself. However, Sarah fights back after invoking Manon, defeating Nancy and showing the other bystander girls their worst fears.  
However, there are a few portions that are somewhat accurate. In one scene, the girls initiate each other into their coven using the real life Wiccan saying "In perfect love and perfect trust." They also say "Blessed Be," afterwards.

These are a few examples of how Paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft are portrayed in modern society. All too often, they are misrepresented as Satanists and those who practice dark magic. In real life, Paganism is an umbrella term for certain types of polytheistic religions: Germanic, Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, among others. People of this pre-Christian faith typically hold the view that the Earth and life is sacred. They celebrate the turning of the seasons with eight Sabbat holidays. One of the lines in the Wiccan Rede states: “An’ ye harm none, do what ye will” which means that people are free to do anything unless it causes harm to other people. Harvey adds, “Pagan rituals and festivals tell a story in which it is important to recognize and to offer greetings to all who participate” (205). The deities, the four elements, humans and other living things are each given importance and value.   
Pagan individuals do not believe in Satan, but rather, in general, a God and a Goddess. Wicca, Druidism, and other minority faiths are hardly brought to the attention of mainstream society, and when it does occur, it is portrayed in a sinister manner, more often than not. With gradual positive representation of Paganism, more people will likely become accepting of those who identify as witches, Wiccas, etc.

 

Supernatural 

Supernatural (2005) is an American television thriller series created by Eric Kripke. The story follows two brothers Sam and Dean Winchester who hunt demons and monsters. After their mother is killed by supernatural forces, the brothers are raised by their father as monster hunters. Two episodes in season 3 reference witchcraft and pre-Christian deities. The first episode is “A Very Supernatural Christmas” and the second is “Malleus Maleficarum.” 

In “A Very Supernatural Christmas,” Sam and Dean investigate a series of murders where the victims were pulled up through a chimney. The brothers discover they are dealing with a demonic figure found in Pagan mythology. They suspect the being is Krampus, who punishes the wicked at Christmas. Sam and Dean search the house of the Carrigans and find human remains and a suspicious sack in the basement. The brothers are knocked out and find themselves tied to chairs. The Carrigans are revealed to be pagan gods who have adapted to human society for thousands of years. They resent the fact that humans practice Christianity and worship a different god instead of themselves. The deities also appear to desire human sacrifice (which does not apply to the pagan deities in real-life mythology). The Carrigans start the ritual, taking blood from the brothers and pulling out Sam’s fingernail. They are about to pull out Dean’s teeth, when they are distracted by a neighbor by the front door. This gives time for Sam and Dean to escape and eventually, they kill the gods with stakes from evergreen trees. 

The Pagan Gods are portrayed as villainous, selfish, and sacrificial. Christianity, the dominant faith is seen as pure and normal. Any other faith is perceived to be “deviant” by many Americans. This form of discrimination is reflective of prejudice in real life. According to Harvey, many Pagans have experienced other religions (ex, Christianity) where “power is vested in dominating leaders, scriptures and deities,” however, their own experiences have been “denied, ridiculed and suppressed” by mainstream society (205). From the perspective of paganism, Pagan deities are not perceived as sacrificial, destructive beings. Rather, they are perceived as higher forces present in both the cosmos and everyday life. In fact, many Pagans do not consider the worshipping of their deities to be the most important. Harvey further emphasizes this statement, saying, “Paganism is not centered around the worship of deities. Pagans may have invented theology—and some are deeply concerned with Goddess centered thealogy—but a concern with correct and fervent belief is not common in Pagan discourse” (Harvey 156). In general, Pagans focus more on the divinity in nature and the seasons. 

 

“Malleus Maleficarum” begins with a woman, Janet Dutton coming home from a party and brushing her teeth. Meanwhile, a witch is shown cutting her hand with a ritual knife, chanting a spell and dropping her blood on a toothbrush. This causes Janet’s teeth to start falling out. Her husband tries to get into the bathroom, but the door is locked. In an investigation, Sam and Dean discover the woman dead on the floor. Sam searches the house and finds a hex bag filled with bones and animal parts, indicating a witch was involved in the act. Later on, the witch who is called Amanda Burns, casts a spell to infest Paul Dutton’s burger with maggots. The man is saved with Sam and Dean Burns another hex bag they find in the car. Amanda is soon killed by a member of her own coven, when her wrists are slashed and she bleeds to death. Elsewhere, three women meet together, claiming they are part of a book club, though they are practicing witchcraft in reality. One scene shows them holding hands and chanting around a Book of Shadows.   
It is later revealed that one of the women, Tammi, is actually a demon, who is controlling the coven. 

Instead of using magic for growth and positivity, the witches in the show use magic for dark purposes and their own gain. The magic is also used to harm and murder other people. In this sense, Paganism could be equated with devil-worshipping and Satanism. In reality, most pagans do not believe in the devil, and harming others goes against the Wiccan Rede of “do no harm.” The magic in the show is very different from magic in Pagan practice. Aleister Crowley offers his definition of the term, saying “Magick is the Science and Art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will” (Harvey, 84-85). Georg Luck explains magic in different terms, stating that it is “a technique that aims at imposing the human will on nature or on human beings by using supersensual powers” (Harvey qt. Luck, 85). In other words, magic is used as a way to impose one’s desires onto the world around them. Many magicians aim to learn more about their true selves and connect with “ultimate reality” or the universe. 

 

W.I.T.C.H.  
W.I.T.C.H. (2004) is a French-American television show based on the W.I.T.C.H. Italian comic book series. The show follows five teenage girls—Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin who gain elemental powers. These powers are water, air, earth, fire, and quintessence. In similar terms, Wiccan tradition acknowledges the four elements, with spirit being equivalent to quintessence, the combination of all four elements. The Heart of Kandrakar serves as the physical manifestation of their power. 

The five protagonists serve as Guardians of the Veil between worlds. In the show, they protect Earth and the fictional land of Meridian from the evil sorcerer Phobos, and later on, the evil sorceress Nerissa. The acronym spells out the word “witch” despite none of them actually being witches themselves. On the other hand, Nerissa is revealed to be the holder of quintessence in the previous group of Guardians. Nerissa was the leader of the older Guardians, and also the only one who was evil. 

According to author Scott Cunningham, traditional Wiccan values include the oldest and most important concept: Harm none. In other words, do not cause harm to others or oneself. A second rule involves the use of magic. Cunningham explains “Magic is…never to be used to boost one’s pride or to cause harm in any way” (142). Magic, in Wiccan real life terms is not a way to gain power, but rather, is an expression for growth and positive energy. In opposition to this rule, Nerissa uses her magic for her own purposes in an attempt to rule the worlds. The teenage girls using spells to cause harm to bullies in The Craft is another example of individuals using magic for harmful purposes and personal gain.

 

References

Alder, Margot (1979). Drawing Down the Moon: Witches Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and other Pagans in America. New York, NY. Penguin Books.  
Cunningham, Scott (1993). Living Wicca: A further guide for the solidary practitioner. Woodbury, Minnesota. Llewellyn Publications.  
Engstorm, Erika, & Valenzano III, Joseph M (2014). Television, Religion and Supernatural: Hunting Monsters, Finding Gods. Lanham, Maryland. Lexington Books. Retrieved December 13th 2018 from https://books.google.com/books?id=KD7oAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=supernatural+pagan+representation&source  
Gardner, Gerald B. (2004). Witchcraft Today. New York, NY. Kensington Publishing Corporation.  
Harvey, Graham (1997). Contemporary Paganism: Religions of the Earth. New York, NY. New York University Press.  
Merlin Wiki. Retrieved 12-15-18 from https://merlin.fandom.com/wiki/Merlin_Wiki  
Reign Wiki. Retrieved 12-15-18 from http://reign-cw.wikia.com/wiki/Reign  
Supernatural Wiki. Retrieved 12-15-2018 from http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum


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